


take it slow

by ElectricPurple89



Category: The House in the Cerulean Sea - T.J. Klune
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Arthur and Linus bring David home, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Orphanage, Post-Canon, magical children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23240329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricPurple89/pseuds/ElectricPurple89
Summary: After the events of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Arthur and Linus take a trip to go get David and bring him back to Marsyas Island.
Relationships: Linus Baker/Arthur Parnassus
Comments: 16
Kudos: 79





	take it slow

**Author's Note:**

> This book is beautiful and wonderful and I have so many ideas floating in my head, but this one came out first. I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> The title comes from the song 'Take it Slow' by Birdtalker
> 
> Thank you Sam for calming my nerves and reading over it before I sent it out into the world and also for fixing my grammar!!

They had finished the room only two nights before. A door was added off the kitchen, so David wouldn't have to go around the side of the house. Arthur had found a bed in the attic and they found a beautiful blue blanket for David to use. The cellar worked out marvelous as a cold room and they had even painted the walls white to give it that arctic feel. A mist of cold air lay on top of the floor that gave the illusion of dry ice. 

Linus and Arthur had taken Zoe's car down to get David. The children, of course, had been briefed on the new addition, they had all wanted to help but it was important David didn't feel overwhelmed, Linus and Arthur had insisted. 

Merle was Merle and grunted about doubling the fee when Linus and Arthur reached the ferry, but one look from the both of them and he scowled and started the ferry.

Helen's friends didn't live too far, just in the next village over. It was a nice hour's drive. The road followed the coastline and Linus felt his heart flutter when Arthur reached over to take his hand and Linus squeezed Arthur's fingers. 

David was in the guest room when they reached the little beach cottage of Helen's friends. It was a small cottage at the end of a road filled with identical cottages, each a different pastel. This one was a sea foam green. The bedroom was at the back of the cottage and it was a bright and cheery yellow, but not exactly the best room for a young Yeti to live. 

"Hello David," Arthur greeted the boy as he leant down a little, Linus stepping into the bedroom after him. 

David just looked at his feet. He had a small purple backpack next to him on the bed where he was sitting. 

"Arthur and I thought you might want to come live with us for a bit. How does that sound?" Linus asked as he put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "We have a few other children at our home that are very excited to meet you." 

The boy continued to look at his feet, but nodded ever so slightly. David clutched the backpack to his chest and started to stand up. 

Arthur and Linus shared a look, but followed David into the main room where the Haversford's said their goodbyes. 

"They'll take such good care of you, David," Rosemary assured the boy. 

"Helen said you made David a cold room?" Joshua asked Linus.

"We did," Linus confirmed. Joshua nodded in approval. 

The drive back was completely silent. Linus kept looking back making sure David was alright, but Linus could see the boy's attention was on the ocean.

"They call that the Cerulean Sea," Linus mused to no one in particular and he might have caught movement from the backseat.

There were of course the stares from the villager,; though they were not as bad as they used to be. As they entered the village of Marsyas,Merle grumbled, "Another one." once they reached the ferry again. Linus shot him a look that shut him up.

Pulling up in front of the house, Linus was thankful to see David did not receive the same welcome he had.

Arthur ushered David into the house and Linus followed them.

They were greeted immediately by six children and Zoe. Sal stood a bit behind Zoe with Theodore perched on his shoulder. Chauncey had his uniform on (he'd gotten a bellhop coat for Christmas), Talia held a flower pot with a beautiful white flower in her hands and Phee was examining it closely, Theodore held a small button, Sal clutched a piece of paper, Calliope purred around Sal's legs, and Lucy had a devilish grin on his face as he held onto a record.

"Hello children," Arthur said, his hands on David's shoulders, "David, these are the other children that live here. Talia, Phee, Sal, Theodore, Chauncey, and Lucy."

David looked up just a little. 

"What do you have there, children?" Linus asked as Arthur crouched down to David's height.

"I called up a Pasque Flower! It grows all the way in Alaska!" Phee exclaimed.

"And I potted it!!" Talia added, "We thought having a plant from a cold climate might make your room nicer."

"I found some extra linens and washed them for you," Chauncey warbled.

Theodore gave David the button and chirped.

"Thank you, Theodore." Arthur replied.

"I wrote a poem about snow for you," Sal said quietly.

"I found this record of Kulning for you!" Lucy excitedly told the new boy.

"Well how about that," Linus responded.

Linus took the gifts from the children and they continued on towards the cellar figuring David might want to be alone for right now. 

David stopped as they descended the stairs, his beautiful cerulean eyes wide.

He breathed in the cold air and Linus could feel the boy settle more than he had. 

It wasn't much of a room. Yes they had fixed it up, but it was still small. Just a bed, of course, and a dresser and a desk. 

David put his backpack on the desk and sat down on the bed.

Linus set the flower on the dresser along with the button. He placed the poem and the record next to the record player on the desk. He recognized it from the guest house. 

"Now, rules of the house will start tomorrow and you'll be expected to attend class and eat with us, but for tonight if you want to stay here that's alright. We'll have dinner in an hour and if you want to eat with us all that would be wonderful but if not that's okay. You've had a long day," Arthur explained to David.

David just nodded in understanding. 

They were in their office. It was small but they had found another desk for Linus and had set them against each other so as they worked they could still see one another. The stacks of books had moved and been piled higher against the walls. 

"He'll be alright," Linus reassured Arthur, knowing what the other was pondering.

Arthur kissed Linus and whispered "He will," against the man's lips.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] take it slow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24244807) by [Flowerparrish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flowerparrish/pseuds/Flowerparrish)




End file.
